


Laugh lines

by kate_the_reader



Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: Character Study, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-07
Updated: 2017-08-07
Packaged: 2018-12-12 08:02:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11732937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kate_the_reader/pseuds/kate_the_reader
Summary: Something else Eames loves about Arthur.





	Laugh lines

It took a while, but slowly Arthur lost the frown lines between his brows, the creases put there by years of running, always moving from one job to the next, worried, sad, stressed, in denial. 

His face smoothed, he seemed younger. His mouth curved up more, his dimples showed themselves more often. 

And then, slowly, slowly, Arthur gained other lines. Lines Eames loved. Laugh lines.

He’d always been vain. Or perhaps careful would be more accurate. Arthur was careful about himself. Neatly dressed, co-ordinated — brown boots, brown belt, hell, he even had a watch with a brown strap. Or black shoes, black belt (both kinds, actually). You get the picture. It was always the picture Arthur wanted you to get. He was deliberate, didn’t leave things to chance. Always packed enough crisply folded shirts. 

Careful, and yes, somewhat vain Arthur, also packed lotions. Not like Eames, a shaving kit he didn’t break out every day. Arthur had his favourite brands, creams he’d smooth into his damp skin, whose slight, faintly medicinal scent was part of the signature only Eames was allowed close enough to detect, under his cologne, mingled with the lingering trace of his soap and his shampoo, all the notes of the heady bouquet that was Arthur.

Eames liked to watch, sometimes, as Arthur fussed in front of a mirror, combing his hair just right, depending on the day and the appointment, checking for stray stubble (something Arthur could not abide, on himself), smoothing in his lotion. He would run a forefinger up between his brows, where the crease no longer was, and smile to himself, his eyes crinkling up.

And that’s when Eames started to really notice them. The laugh lines. Radiating from Arthur’s eyes, framing them. And Arthur didn’t seem to mind. He never seemed to pay extra attention around his eyes. Didn’t add a special cream to his supplies (not that Eames checked, really, but you can’t help noticing some things, can you?)

Arthur had never seemed like much of a laugher. Before. But Eames had always been able to make him laugh. Silly stories, private jokes, times he’d nudge his foot while an extractor was being especially long-winded and Arthur would glance at him and roll his eyes and then Eames would be trying to suppress a grin and then Arthur would be looking away, and his shoulders would start to shake and the windbag extractor (why were those guys always so fond of the sound of their own voices?) would throw them an annoyed glance and that would just make it worse and then Arthur would excuse himself and then Eames would have to go also and he’d find Arthur leaning on the wall outside the door helpless with giggles and he’d have to snog him senseless. So yeah, Eames had always been able to make Arthur laugh.

And the more you laugh, the more your face seems like the face of someone who likes to laugh. So it was with Arthur. His eyes were framed with lines that made that clear. And Arthur left them there, even though seeming implacable, capable, serious, no-nonsense was surely more to his advantage. And because Arthur never left his image to chance, Eames knew that was deliberate.

He traced them with a finger, lightly. “You don’t seem to want to smooth these away with one of your creams, darling.” Just to hear him say what Eames suspected he would.

“No, I don’t. I like them.” He cut his eyes sideways at Eames. “You like them too.”

“Oh, I do.”

“You put them there.”

“Did I?”

“You did. So I’ll keep them.” And he smiled at Eames, eyes crinkling.

**Author's Note:**

> [Also on tumbr, with the photo that inspired it](https://kate2kat.tumblr.com/post/163917480378/inspired-by-this-photo-laugh-lines-it-took-a).


End file.
